Dear Muslims, Immigrants, and Airport Detainees,

I have a message about salvation in Jesus Christ. If you have lived in the United States for any period of time, you have probably received a lot of those messages. However, this one is not about your salvation, it is about mine.

This morning, I read Matthew 5:1-12 to my congregation. It is the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, a collection of Jesus’ teachings. It begins,

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

As I sit in the safe comfort of my warm apartment, I realize this is not a message for me. This is a message for you. This is a message for those of you who have traveled from war-torn homelands to create a better life and have nothing left but a few bags, faith, and hope. May you know the Kingdom of Heaven is with you, that God is with you. This is a message for you who mourn the loss of everything you knew - your home, your families, your village. May you be comforted. This is for you who hunger and thirst for a better way, a newer life, a life filled with hope, love, joy, life, and opportunity. May you be filled. This is for you, who have been persecuted in this country, who have been given sideways glances, who have been told to go home to a place which is not your home. May you know that God’s kingdom belongs to you. This scripture is for those of you who have been singled out, bullied, and had nasty things said you. This is for you who have stood up and offered words of mercy, forgiveness and kindness even in the midst of your struggle to be heard as true Americans. The mercy of God is with you.

This scripture is for you. As a priest in Christ’s church I bless you and say to you, “May the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord’s face shine upon you and be gracious to you, may the Lord turn his face upon you and give you peace, and may the blessing of God be with you this day and always.” I want to bless you and I want to thank you.

One of the most popular teachings of the Christian faith is the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10:29-37. The story is about a man who walked from one city to another in his own country. While in transit he was robbed, stripped of clothing, beaten, and left for dead. One would assume someone would have come to the rescue. The priest walked by and didn’t help. A man of the same religious upbringing walked by and didn’t help. But the Samaritan, the foreigner, the person not welcome in the man’s country stopped, saved the man, took care of him, and showed him mercy. The story ends with Jesus’ question, “Which of these three, was a neighbor?” and the answer, “The one who showed him mercy.”

We often forget that this story comes to teach us about who is our neighbor. Even those in our society who do not claim to be Christian can state the Golden Rule, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” This is the preface for the Good Samaritan. Right before the story of the Good Samaritan we read this -

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus.* ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. -Luke 10:25-30.

It is Jesus way of telling us everyone is our neighbor, that you are our neighbor, and that you have lessons to teach us about the way in which we are saved. So, today, I want to thank you for the ways in which you have taught me about my salvation in the last few weeks.

1. You have shown mercy. Despite insults thrown at you for wearing your hijabs in public, despite having your family detained at airports, despite being asked to “go home” (even though you were born here), you have responded with mercy, kindness, and understanding. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

2. You are peacemakers. Time and time again, you have boldly stood between hundreds of people who do not understand you and proclaimed that being a Muslim is not the same as being a jihadist, that being a Muslim is not the same as being a part of ISIS. Time and time again, you have composed yourself, rid yourself of anger, and shown us what true peace looks like. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

3. You are pure in heart. You pray for forgiveness, guidance, and peace FIVE TIMES A DAY. Enough said. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

You are my neighbor, my friend, my Samaritan, and the one who reminds me how to act out the sermon on the Mount. I’m thankful for your witness and your blessing.

Peace,
Amanda